Circular-knitting machine



A 4 1,624,482 Apnl 12? 1927' E. H. M. E. DURAND l l CIRCULAR KNITTING- MACHINE Filed Aug.' 24, 1925A 5 Sheets-She e t 2 AWUFINEY.

April 12J 1927.t E H. M. E DURAND I CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1925' 5 Sheets-Sheet 3` Wee/W.' f? y @5M/@Mfg April 12 1927. 1,624,482l

E; H. M. E. DURAND -GIRCULARKNI-TTING MACHINE Filed Aug.' 24, 1925 5 sheets-sim 4 @www April 12 ,1921.- 1,624,482l

E. H. M. E. DURAND` CIRCULAR KNITTINGYMAGHINE y Filed Aug. 24, 192s 5 sheets-sheet s .Panarea Apr. `12. 1927.

- U-NifrED i STATES EUGENE HENRI MARIE EMILE DURAND, E PARIS, FRANCE.

CIRCULAR-mamme MACHINE. A

1,624gisz PATENT oFFic-E.

Application filed mgm 24, ina-serial No. 659,230, and in rrancnugust s1, 1922.

, This inventionrelates to improvements 1n f circular knitting machines, more particularly those which are provided with needles Awhereby the loops orstitches may be directly transferred from one needle ontoanother,

and are intended for the manufacture of hose and half-hose.

The improvements chieiy .comprise the provision ofreciprocatory needlesand guiding surfaces therefor; half of said needles performing rectilinear movements, and the g other half performing ldentical movements in the upperpart' of the movement but mov- A ing rearwardly in the lower part of the movement; means being provided for passing bylateral inclination any oneof the needles lin the second-mentioned half behind its 'ers (in normal working) during the trans-` fer', and during the placing out of operation of the needles, during which the movements started are automatically continued.

Again, the machine comprises mechanism for starting at the desired moment the transfer movement and the placing'- out of, operation of the needles and sinkers which are adapted to be withdrawn between constantly-acting lower sinkers; this mechanism ensuring that the length of thread taken up by a needle which has taken the place of .i the sinker which 'separated it from the next inoperative needle is constant and equal to that taken up by the neighboring needles.

In the said drawing, y

Figure 1 is a vertical half-section on line 1--1 of Fig. 2, of the circular knitting machine.

2-2 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the preceding ligure. 1

Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 3,-in which are shown only the sley and the needles.

Figs. 5 and 6 show 'thesame detail as Figs. 3 and 4;, but at the beginning of the transfer movement.

"Figs .7 and 7u `show the needles lin the various positions which they occupy during the operation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line Fig. 8V shows, diagrammatically, the cam tracks for the needles and the sinkers.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing how the combination of the sinkers which are adaptedv to, be withdraw-n and the constantly acting sinkers attains its object. j

Fig. 10is a vertical section showing the chain and its attendant parts which operate the needles and sinkers -when afreduction takes place. Figs. 11 and 12 are side elevations of two details of said attendant parts.

Fig. 13 is a partial verticalsection of the `frame, in which are shown the respective positions of the needles and of the sinkers during the 4chief operations of ordinary knitting.

As will be seen (Figs. 1 and 2), the machine illustrated comprises a fixed' frame carrying the cam tracks Y and Y for controlling the needles X and X controlling the sinkers, and a movable block Z-Z rotatlng in the frame and carrying the needlesv a land b, the sinkers d and e and the sleys c.l n

The needles and their guide tracks (Fig.

v13) are `so made that the headsor hooks of ,the `needles b move in a straight line 1b- 2aB, while the heads of the others move along a broken line 1w-2ab. The needles a and b in their raised position will Atherefore move in the ysame way for drawing the thread, but one of'them is displaced as they move downwards. The lower portions of the needles slide very loosely in the frame Z', and their upper portions slide in the sleys c. The latter guide each needle a and b and, also, a sinker cZ.- The sleys are made so that'in.- their normal position, they keep the two needles la' and-.b spaced apart and allow. of the movements of thes'inkers for ordinary working. If, however, 4with-the needles still in the low` position,"the sinker moves back to a greater extent as in Fig. 5, the sley c is forced to participate in this return movement, land the heads of the positions shown in Fig. 6.

If the needles a and b (but`b first) then ri'se, the hook of needle a engages with the recess of the needle b being slightly offset as described in -my Patent No. 1,524,346,

needles .a and-b in the said sley assume the granted `January 27,1925. rIn addition-to the ,sinkers engaging with the sleys, the

Vmachine comprises between the said sleys,

further sinkers e', which differ from the rst sinkers only by the height of the portion i and the sinkers at 2de; at 0-5a low point oi the cam track produces a return movement ot the sinkers shownat 3de (Fig. 13) in order to insure the drawing of the thread under, and not above, the hooks.

the sinkers' are in the position shown in full lines, 1a and 1de (Fig. 13). ln the next positions 0 7 and ()7, `the needles are rising again, but to a less height than at 0 1, up to lab of Fig. 13, for instance. At OMS, the needles have taken up exactly the sameposition as ato- 1.

All the above movements of needles and sinkers are those used in ordinary working.

Referring now.- to Figs. 7 and 7, the needle,on moving from positions 1 to 5,

occupies successively the positions indicated;

that is, the needle which holds the thread in its hook While the latch is folded down descends, but during this downward move ment, the latch comes in contact with a stitch, and as the 'said stitch remains stationary in the general plane m-n, the latch of the needle is forced to close. The'needle continues to move down and finally closes the stitch in the position 5;

\ The needle continues its movement and, in passing from position 5 to position 7, it rises as in position 6 so as to open lits latch,

since the stitch which was held in the hook and which is compelled to remain in the general plane forces the latch of the needle to open. The needle. then descends with anV open latch and takes up the same stitch; it then rises to position 8, after having cast o t its stitch at the plane vnl-n. The needle then continues its rotation and after having passed through the remaining part of the cycle which it carries out normally, it returns to the position 1 where the operation recommences. y

.Piv decrease is effected as follows:

In order to understand the movement, it must be observed that each sinker passes into the recess of the sley e and that the needles are coupled in pairs (the machine being provided with an even number of needles), the needles of each pair a b (Fig. 4) passing through the forked groove in the sley.

When it is desiredtof decrease, the part or interponent h (Fig. 10) which corresponds to the needle on which the decrease is to be effected, is caused to contact with an obstacle or stop. (as hereinafter indicated), so

that it is pushed upwards to start the movement of thel sinker d. The part h only starts Ai. Ow?, 4completion of the new loop, the needles and the pivoting of the sinker nl about axis nl' and, during this pivoting, the butt olf the sinker leaves the patlror track X in which it was engaged, so as to come into the path X for the decreases, (,lncc the butt of the sinker which must assist in the decrease,

. has entered the groove X', it does not leave it; that is, the sinker remains entirely apart and has no further action 1n the working ot the machlne.

Also, when a decrease is ellected, the part.

12 (Fig. 10) is actua-ted as hereinafter described to cause thebutt of the needle to pass from the path Y to the path Y', which needle, in order to effect a decrease, has given its stitchto the otherneedle of the pair.

The sinker rl rotates outwardly and passing along to the end of the groove in theneedles are both still in the normal grooveY and that as the groove ascends and the needle Z) is in front of the needle a in the direction of the movement, itrises quicker than does the needle a. This upward movement, with the advance of the needle `Z1 on the needle a, is kept up at positions 7 and 7', the movement apart of the needles being diagrainmatically illustrated in Fig. 8.

At this moment, the needle I), laced in front of the needle a, has reached a evelpon tion ot the pathY and no longer rlses, while the needle a continues to rise until vit reaches the position 8, in which the two needlesare at the same level. The art or rocker 12 (Fig. 10) then acts on the utt ofI the needle Z) (as hereinafterdescrihed), so`

that thebutt passes from the path Y to the path Y (Fig, S); and while the needle a, continues its circular movement of the Inachine, remaining always at the same level owing to the crosssection of the path Y, the needle b, owing to the cross section of the path Y. it follows, withdraws (positions 9, 10 Aand 11) and, whilewithdrawing, the said needle Z) gives its stitch to the needle a.

As a result, the number of needles of the machine has been reduced by a unit, and the needle belonging to the said unit has taken the stitch of the unit which has been withdrawn.

In order to understand the above described operation, it must be observed that the bracket 15 (Fig. 10), which carries the rocker 12 that acts on the butt of the needle fron-t of the needle whichv effects the de# crease, when the said needle is 4inthe position where the decrease takes place.

In Fig. 8, the various radii 1, 0 2, 0 3, 0 11, correspond to the positions of the needles in Figs. 7 7.

In the position 0 1, the sinkers and the needles follow their normal cam tracks; that is to say., the butts of the sinkers are in the track X and the butts of the needles are in the tiack Y. The same applies to the the shape of the cam tracks X and Y iinparting to the sinkers and to the needles the movei'iients required .forforming the Stitches. i e. j

From the position O Lit will be seen that owi'ngto the-mechanism 10a, herein- 'after described, being suitably actuated, one

of the sinkers advances towards the cam track X', while the associated sinker remains in the track X. The needles continue to tion track r (paving to the position of the fio device 10a) w ile the butts of the sinkers remain as before, one in the track X, and the other in the track X.

' the track Y.

)Vith regard to the position 0 11, it will -be seen that for the group ofvsinkers' andneedles considered, the buttof-one` of the sinkers is in the track X, the butt of the other `sinker in Ithe track X', the butt of one needle is in the track Y, while the buttof the other needle is in the track Y.- In these conditions,'one needle and one sinker have been disengaged, owing to their descending, one inthe -track X', thef'other i-n The openings of the connection tracks are closed by small .doors held by light springs (not shown) to avoid accidental engagement of the needles and sinkers with lthe said tracks.

Inorderftotcause at the desired moment the engagement of a given sinker and needle with the connection tracks above referred to, the frame is provided with mechanism 10a such as that shown in Fig. 10 and com- 4'prising a cha-in having a link per row of loops contained in the article to be manufactured, andadvancing to the extent of one link per row made', as already Autilized on other knitting machines. '.lliis chain is provided -with projectionsnoii' the links corre- `'poi'idiiig to the circular row'sof loops during themanufacture or formation of which rows itis 4desired to in ake for instance a re-` duction. Av plunger lOcari'ied by a bracket 11 and provided at its end with a recessed cam track (Fig. 1l) presses lightly against.y I

the chain and is pushed towards the interior of the frame by the passage of a'projection.

The cani track in the plunger is adapted to engage with a projection 10b` (Fig. 10) which will-be hereinafter described, and as 4shown by Fig. 11, is first lowered and then brought back to its initial height, and finally raised before coming out of the ycam track, the in-. terval between the 'two movements of lowlcring and. raising corresponding tothe angulaigdistancc on the cam tracks X and Y of the connection cani tracks (Fig. 8).

' A. bracket 22 isprovided which supports two toothed rings 16 and 18 engaging with a pinion 17 which is adapted to turn the two rings i'n` opposite directions'and to the same extent. I The pinion isconnccted to a ratchet wheel 20 which is rotated lby a pawl 24' (Fig. 12) raised by the passage of-.thc boss 23 on the plunger 10. It will be understood thatl .the pinion, ratchet wheel andthe driving means for the same lare such that each passage of the boss Q3 turns the two' rings 1G and. 18 through an angle corresponding exactly to a certain number (two' or four) of needles, and also that by. adjust-ing the lowering of the pawl (for instance,l by means of ani-eccentric 21) the movement of the rings to two or four needles may be regulated at-will. Each ringA carries one of the brackets 15cm which a rocker 12 is adapted `to turn, the tail or project-ion 101) of which is adapted to engagewith the cam track of plunger 10 when, as aforesaid, the latterl is pushed towards the interior of` the frame under the action of a .projection on the chain. The first movement imparted by the cam-a lowering swi,i'igs the rocker and raises the rod 14 which, by means of the interponent 7L, turns the sinker about its axis and introduces the butt of it into the connection track ai crossing over from the cam track X into the cam track X' (Fig. 8).

vlt should be remembered that the cam tracks X X controlling the -sinkers (Fig. 8) and the cam trackof plunger 10 (Fig. 10) are both fixed, and that itis easy to make the device 10a exercise an action on a sinker at the exact `moment when the said sinker. passes 1n front of the connection cam track.

'In the Vsame way, .the second movementl tween the cani tracks Y andY".

It must be pointed out that at the moment of the ac- .itionuil the device s,.the needle is `in its high position` and that the part 19 nearly touches the lip of the rocker l2 and also .that the end projection of the needle is in 4iront of the connection track, wlnch 1s possible for reasons stated in the foregoingV with reference to the sinkers.

`lhe 'frame may comprise another device 10a similar to that described, but such that vao the needles and .sinkers on which it acts would engage with the connection tracks M and N.' The two devices mayalso have parts in common, such as for instance,`the chain. In that way a circular frame is ob` tained working in the following manner y Assuming it is desired to knit a tubular fabric decreased by two stitches every 10 rows,the successive decreases must alwaysl be effected by needles which do not belong tothe same group of two needles, it being recalled that the needles' in the machine.

form distnctgroups of two needles. 'Let itbe supposed that the tubular article be-V ing made comprises 40 stitches. The first two decreases will be made,`for instance, so as to be `diametrically opposite. The following `decreases,will bey made so that one follows immediately' aftet the first decrease, while `the other imniediately precedes the second d eerease the fifth and sixth decreases will be made so that the fifth de- It will b e appreciated that Acause thefswitching of the butts both of the u lsinkers and of the needles.

The operation is carried out as follows: By hand, or by operatin on the Ypawl 24,

I theparts 15-12 are turne .in order to bring them opposite two `needlesseparated from "-each other by" twenty needles, on which it is .desired to produceA the first v two reduci tions, andthe travel of the pawl 24E is set 'f;or two needles' by means of the eccentric 21.' The chain has projections on the tenth, twentieth, thirtieth, etc. links corresponding to the circular rows on which 4it is de sired to make the reductions, and the machine is started. As long as a projection on the chain does not move in frontof the plunger 10, the machine produces plain "tubular workLbut as soon as a projection moves in front of the plunger, it pushes the latter back and when the first rocker 12 arrives in front of the `plunger cam track, the sinker d adjoining the needle 5 selected to make the first reduction engages with .and rendering it inoperative.

between the two sinkers e?, e.

jack f of the needle I) is in its turn operated by the rocker 12 and pases into the connec tion track between the cam tracks .Y andY, carrying with it theneedle in its descent In this move ment, the needle leaves its loop on the next needle a.

After that, in front of the plunger 10- passes another rocker 12, and its action is identical with that of the first one. Finally, the pawl 2l meets the boss 23 provided on the plunger 10 and turns the ratchet wheel, the pinion and the rings so as to bring the rockers and two' needles to their receding position. The circular row is finished, the` chain advances to the extent of one link, and the machine continues to produce plain tubular work until a new projection on the chain causes the operation of reduction. f

After a reduction, la needle having been brought'out of action, this group is reduced to a single needle. The sinker lalso which was between thev two needles has been broughtout of' action. F ig. 9 shows three groups of needles. The first group comprises the needles a', b', and the sinker d is between the two needles. The said group has atopposite ends the sinkers e e2. The second group, which has been reduced, now comprisesv only a single needle cu2, while the other needle?)2 has descended, owing to the fact that its butt has entered the lower cam track. A The said group no longer contains the sinker d2, as the latter alsoI hasbeen brought out'of action as its butt has entered the lower cam track Y. It will therefore be seen that there is only a single needle a2 Finally, the third group. is a normal group constituted by the need`es a?, ID3, similar tothe first group constitutedby the needles a', Z1. This third group will remain in this position, the needles continuing to turn about the machine as long as the article being worked is not finished. When the work is finished and it is desired to reset all the needles, the sinker d2 is again brought into its original position 'by reinserting its butt in the upper cam track X. The needle b2 also is restored to its .working position by causing its butt to pass intothe upper cam track Y.` These `operations may be carried out by hand.

It is understood that the above description applies to the' reduction in'question, but it is possible that the manufacture of the product may necessitate severalreductions, and in that event the description relating to the starting of the new work for the group a2 b2 vwill apply to -all the groups that have been reduced` (that is, to all theA groups for which the sinker and one of the needles have been brought out of action).

is exactly double the length of the thread .of

I duced to a single needle and-makes only one The object of Fig. 9 is chieliy to explain.

that when,- after a reduction, the group of two-needles is reduced to a single needle,

the latter makesa stitch ofthe same size.

It vtakes up thel same length of wool or thread. Infact, if the group a', ZJ separated by the two s inkers e, c2` is considered, there is a length of thread which., passing fr the top of the sinker e', reaches the top of the sinker d so as to return to the top of the sinker e2. thread is measured, it will be seen that it the second group which, it is known,l is restitch, whereas the irst group makes two, stitches. In this case', the length of the thread is that which starts lr mthe topof iformed, I declare that `what I lclaim is 1.'}A circuar-knitting machine for shaped tubular articles, comprising a plurality of needles; means` for imparting reciprocatory movements thereto; means for guiding the` needles during their movements; means for moving half of the needles' rearwardly during the lower portion of their reciprocatory movement to the exclusion of the other` half ;v and means -for inclining any one of the rearwardly-moved needles laterallyso as to cause it to pass behind itslneighbor in the excluded half.

2. A circular knitting machine for shaped tubular articles, comprising a yplurality of needles; a rotary carrier therefor; a set of cam .tracks wherein the needles are engaged4 for imparting reciprocatory movements toV them during their rotation with the carrier; sleys mounted on the carrier to rotate therewith and engaging the needles to pass certain of them behind their neighbors during the lower portion of `their reciprocatory movement; and means for operating the sleys. v

3. A circular knitting machine forshaped tubular articles, comprising a plurality of needles; a rotary carrier therefor; a set of cam tracks wherein the needles are engaged If the said length of` forl imparting reciprocatory movements to them during their rotation with the carrier; sleys for passing certain of the needles behind their neighbors duringthe lower portion of their reciprocatory movement; sinkers foroperatingthe sleys; and a separate 4set of 'camtracks wherein the sinkers are operatively engaged.

4;, A circular knitting machine, according to claim 3, in which the cam tracks of each set'have connecting tracks between them to enable `the needles andV sinkers to pass from one track of the respective set to the other.

5. A circular knitting machine for shaped tubular articles, comprising a plurality of needles.; a rotary carrier therefor; means for imparting r'eciprocatory movements to the needles during their rotation with the v carrier; sleys for passing certain 'of the needles behind their neighbors during the lower portionof their reciprocatory movement; sinkers for operatingthe sleys; a set of `cam'tracks wherein the sinkers areI operativelyl engaged having connecting tracks -between them to enable the sinkers to pass -rom one'track of the set to the other; and Y an intermittently-acting mechanism for antomatically effecting the movements of the sinkers through the connecting tracks.

6. A knitting machine, according to claim 5, in which the intermittently-acting'mechanism embodies a plunger, a rocker operated thereby, connections between the rocker and a sinkerfor actuating the latter from the former, and a movable element lprovided with spaced projections for operatively engaging the plunger.

7. .A knitting machine, according to claim v5, in which the. intermittently-acting mechani'sm embodies a plunger, a rocker operated thereby, connections between the rocker and a sinker for actuating the latter from the former, and an endlesschain having pro- Jections thereon at intervals for operatively engaging the plunger. Y

8. A knitting machine, according to claim 5, .in which the intermittently-acting mechanism embodies a plunger provided with a cam track, a rocker having a portion engageable in' said track, said rocker adapted to be operated Iconsequent upon such engagement,

for, actuating the latter from the former, and a movable element provided with spaced projections for operatively engaging the plunger.

9. A knitting machine, according to claim 5, in 'which the intermittently-acting mechanism embodies a`plunger provided with a cam'track, arocker liaving'a portion engageJ I connections between 'the rocker and a sinker 4able in said track, said rocker adapted to be operated consequent upon such engagement,

connections between the rocker and a sinker for actuating the latter from the former, and

an endless chain havingprojections thereon at intervals for operatively engaging the plunger. 4 y

l0. A circular knitting machine for shaped tubular articles, comprising a plurality of needles arranged in individual pairs; means for imparting reciprocatory movements to the needles; means for guiding the needles during their movements; means for moving one needle of each palr rearwardly during the lower portionof its reeiprocatory movement to the exclusion' of the other needle;'

and means for inclining any one of the rear- 1 wardly-moved needles laterally so as to cause one needle of each pair rearwardly duringthe lower ortion of its reeiprocatory movement to t e exclusion of the other needle;

. nee/inse and a plurality of sleys; one individual to each pair of needles and engaging the same, to incline the rearwardly-moved needle oi any pair laterally so as to cause it to pass behind the other needle of that pair.

y12.. A circular knitting machine for shaped tubular articles, comprising a plurality of needles; a rotary carrier therefor: means for impartin Y needles dln-ing their rotation with the car` rier; sleys mounted on the carrier to rotate therewith and engaging the needles to pass certain of them behind their neighborsduring the lower portion of their reciprocatory movement; and means for operating the sleys.

13. Acircular knitting machine, accordreeiprocatory movements to the ing to claim 12, in which the needles .are

arranged in individual pairs, and in which there is a sley individual to each pair and engaged with both needles thereof. A

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EUGENE HENRI malen/uu: DURAND. 

